Express Yourself Weddings and Events shares the creative Vision and design of beautiful Pink Tropics La Maquette style shoot.
The title “Pink Tropics” conjures up so many pleasant images. What was the initial spark of inspiration for this styled shoot?
The initial spark of inspiration was the desire to step outside the box during a time when the main colour palette for weddings was all about neutrals, especially blush. Using such a vibrant colour palette can be very daring, especially if not done correctly, however I wanted to challenge myself and step outside my normal comfort zone.
You came to the event planning business from the financial services industry as well as a marketing background. How does this experience play into your career now?
I feel my experience in the financial services industry actually provided me with many tools to help me in the event planning business. When I worked in the financial services business one of the main outlets I was working in was the loan business which taught me valuable life lessons about client relations and budgeting. Knowing how to approach clients and build a proper rapport is fundamental in building a successful business. Budgeting is a huge aspect of a planning business- helping clients stay on budget is a huge part of helping clients plan their weddings.
How did you put together your team for this creative endeavour and what was the best part of the working dynamic?
Throughout my past work experience I have met a variety of people who have have inspired me with their creativity and I have been fortunate enough to work with them on various projects. The stationer (Ivory Tusk Designs) is someone I have known for over 10 years and who I have grown up with and knew that they would be perfect for this shoot. The photographer on this shoot I have worked with on many projects and she really has an amazing eye for detail. I have admired Coriander Girl’s work for years and it was a complete honour to have them be part of our shoot. Belle from Love in Bloom Cakes is not only an amazing human being but such a creative artist and I have really admired her work and how far she has come in her business. Each and everyone of the vendors for this shoot has been someone I admired and loved their work and I was fortunate enough to have them say yes when I asked them to be port of this shoot. The best part of the working dynamic was definitely how seamlessly we all worked together. It was such an amazing experience.
There is a hint of rustic style in the furnishings while the overall design is elegant with ornate touches and metallics highlights. How did you make these choices and achieve this striking balance in the final look?
I love having striking differences in a design that brings two opposites together. I think many people wouldn’t think or attempt to have rustic and ornate together, and I think it was a risk that I was wanting to take to stand out. With that being said, I feel that you had to have a little bit of both in order to achieve the look we were going for. If you had ornate everything it wouldn’t go with the overall look of the venue and if you had rustic everything it wouldn’t go with the glamorous and almost luxe overall look we were trying to achieve. It was the perfect balance of both.
How would you build out on this styled shoot for a winter wedding?
Colour always sets a tone for a season, so if I was to build out this design for a real winter wedding I would start with a strong opulent colour palette including burgundy, gold and emerald green. I would also go with a beautiful long sleeved lace gown, perfect for the winter season.
What informed the choice of the beautiful wedding dress?
When selected the wedding dress, I knew I wanted something lace and sleeveless, perfect for a wedding outside in the warm weather or inside a beautiful greenhouse. We were lucky to work with the wonderful people at Ferre Sposa who not only allowed us to use one of the gorgeous gowns, but three of them, allowing us to achieve three very diverse yet elegant looks.
What did the location of La Maquette add to the success of this styled shoot?
La Maquette is a gorgeous venue who has an amazing almost greenhouse like look to their upper level. When we were sourcing a location we wanted something that felt very organic and natural, especially since we were planning to work with Coriander Girl who has a very organic feel to their floral design. We wanted it to feel like the flowers could almost be grown there (like their organic look didn’t look out of place) and the unique look that La Maquette had allowed for that.
In constructing the floral and decor with Corinader Girl Florals how did you achieve such a striking balance and symmetry in the design?
Our goal to achieve overall balance and symmetry in the design was all about placement. With such a natural look being achieved with the florals, it wasn’t our overall goal to achieve symmetry with the florals as we wanted it to feel as organic as possible. With that being said, the placement of the other decor was crucial in achieve balance in the overall design.
There appears to be a perfect balance between florals and greenery and again a perfect balance in the choice of colour palette for the variety of flowers. How is this achieved and how significant was this success to the rest of the shoot?
I give complete credit for this to Coriander Girl. They are without a doubt the most professional creatives I have met and they completely took my vision and brought it to life. Without their creative take on the florals, the shoot wouldn’t have been what it was.
If you had to choice between Monet and Gaugan to paint this styled shoot as a still life who would you choice? ( pretending they are alive 🙂
I would definitely say Monet. He always used strong colour palettes and many of his paintings were painted with natural light and florals, very much indicative of our overall look for our shoot.
Love in Bloom cakes states about their cake in the shoot There’s something about the combination of two opposites that amazes me. Like this petite cake that I made for a Pink Tropics shoot at #LaMaquette: its “aging” textures and cracks combined with the “fresh” florals by @coriandergirl, made it look so fragile yet so whimsical. This is indicative of the high level of collaboration and cohesiveness of the whole styled shoot. How did you achieve this ?
In regards to the cakes, it really was about achieving the overall cohesiveness and look that the other decor pieces were aiding in achieving. The aging textures and cracks of the cakes coincided perfectly to fit the look of the rustic tables and chairs, while the fresh florals added to that opulence that the rest of the decor invoked. The confectionaries were the perfect blend of both elements.
What were some of your directives on how you wanted this styled shoot to be captured and what were your impressions when you first saw the photographs?
Mainly I wanted this shoot to be captured with plenty of natural lighting, to bring my overall vision to the forefront of literally bringing the outdoors indoors. I was completely blown away by the photographs when I first saw them. There is nothing more rewarding than seeing the hard work that so many people put in come to life and captured so flawlessly.
Creative Diretor, Concept Creator & Planner: Express Yourself Weddings and Events
Decor & Florals Coriander Girl
table & Chairs & Furniture Rental \Detailz Event Rental
Photography: Do u Know Dot Com
Cakes & Donuts Love in Bloom Cakes
Engagement Ring Anouk Jewelry
Invitation Suite Ivory Tusk Design
Bridal Dresses : Ferre Sposa
